Water play is great for my very wild Porcupine class. But we can’t afford the water toys that all the slick magazines advertise. There is no way we could get a fancy draining water table either. But we are the preschool that can, and nothingstops the porcupines! We solved the issue fast.

First, we went to McDonald and asked them for some trays that they were getting rid of. Then we went to the Dollar tree and stocked up on plastic animals, plastic beads, marbles and such.We also bought four large basins, about the size that fits in the sink. Then we went through the collection of old toys, measuring cups of different sizes, water bottles and like objects. The bead necklaces were cut, so they were all different lengths,varying from 3 beads to half of the necklace. (maybe 15-20 beads).

Then the fun begins. We set up four places at the table, each with a tray, a towel and a basin of warm water with that days items in it. The items can be everything from a water bottle, a cup, a handful of glass rocks, shells, pony and troll dolls, the beads,sponges and plastic animals. Sometimes we add extra treats to the water. We may add soap, that they won’t notice till it starts bubbling as they play. Or it may have tinting from dye, either blue, purple, of pink. We don’t use yellow, because it triggers one of the kids with autism, and green stains too much.

I know that it’s been a long time since I updated on my center. I apologize. i have had some serious health issues that have made it difficult to do anything extra. But we are still chugging away and making forward progress. Like the little emgine that could, we are the little shelter preschool that can! (And will)

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Yesterday when we went for a walk after lunch one of the girls stopped at a tree and started staring at the trunk. She was looking at something my level, so I checked it out. It was a tiny shining black snail. A “baby shnail”. Other children came over to explore the snail. I looked up and saw that wasn’t the only snail.There were snails of all kinds of sizes, and and colors. Some were hanging upside down in groups, some a lone. But the whole tree was pretty much covered! I wouldn’t have noticed though, if that child hadn’t found the first one.

Its important to pay attention to what children may be looking at. You can see amazing things that you may not even have noticed otherwise. They truly can give you a whole different perspective on the world.

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The children at my center heard about a friend of mine who is collecting socks for kids like them in Oregon. they know how it feels to need clean socks. So the 4 year old Pre-k class want to start a sock drive.

Their goal is to have 50 pairs of socks by the end of September. Socks need to be new, obviously. they want men’s, women’s boys and girls socks, because “sometimes Daddies are in shelter too”.

I am so proud of my class. These are kids who are in shelter themselves, and have very little to give. But they want to make other kids more comfortable. And they came up with the idea themselves. It didn’t come from an adult telling them what to do.

Like this:

Why do the deer cross the road?
To get to the water.
Why do the deer cross the road?
To find food.
Why do the deer cross the road?
Because the road is there.
Why is the road there?
So cars can drive on it.
Why do cars drive on the road?
They take people through the hills.
Why don’t people walk through the hills?
They don’t want to bother the deer.
Do the cars bother the deer?
sometimes they do.

Why do the deer cross the road?
Because its what deer do.
For how long?
Since the road has been here.
How long has the road been here?
Twenty -three years.
Is that a long time?
It is long if you are the deer.
Ok. can I have dinner now?